Chapter One
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background Of Study
Over the years the agricultural sector has been the most consistent sector contributing to the growth and development of the economy of most developing nations; in Nigeria for instance since the oil boom back in the 1970s. The federal government of Nigeria has neglected the agricultural sector of Nigeria; little or no funds have been are allocated to
this sector. The over dependency in the oil sector of Nigeria has it shortcomings; when there is fluctuation in the oil price, so does the economy of Nigeria fluctuate. The federal government of Nigeria and her team came together to reverse the ugly occurrences by attempting to begin implementing market-oriented reforms designed to diversify economic growth in 2008; although the process was reported to be slow but report claim that the nation is undergoing a state of transformation from subsistence farming to business-oriented agriculture designed to once again become a substantial portion of the nation’s GDP. The federal government of Nigeria through IFDC redemption clerks prepares vouchers for farmers in Taraba State during the 2012 Fertilizer Voucher Program as a motivating factor to enhance the consistency in the practice of agriculture.
According to Calestous Juma (2009), he stated that making agricultural sector a priority for national development could yield great benefit, he went on to say that the aim is particularly in achieving food security and reducing hunger; increasing incomes and reducing poverty level of a nation; advancing the human development agenda in health
and education; and reversing environmental damage.
According to (Kydd, 2002) stated that in most developing countries, decision planners and their field workers are usually faced with the issue of how to increase and improve yield without degrading the soil and water resources; they are also faced with the problem on how to meet the production targets as regards the increase the prices of farm input costs and foreign exchange. He went on to say that the people living in the rural areas are more likely to hold a smaller part of agriculture as farmers, labourers, marketers’ transporters, and other agricultural services to households depends only on agriculture for livelihood. The question here is why agricultural revolution? Well the truth of the matter is that food is simply the most basic need among all other necessity; the national power also depends on food. A nation with the highest level of food production to feed the citizen and for sales tends to be respected globally as they will compete favourably in the international market. According to (fine, 1998) stated that our biological, spiritual and ethical health depends on food in various ways. It is to this regard that the researcher wishes to carry out a study on the capability of agrarian revolution towards achieving food security in Nigeria.